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Topic: The Code (Read 845 times)

The rebuilt NSA will attempt to be a more realistic simulator of the global system. This first section will be a discussion of the new direction that the Admin Staff (AS) is taking with the game. NSA has had a good run over the years. Unfortunately the player base has dwindled and the world is in a state of disarray. I think that there were a few factors that led to this. First, the African Union (AU) was “disbanded”. Many issues were debated within the halls of this organization: territorial disputes, social issues, conflict resolution, and others of shared concern. When the AU fell apart, players seemed to limit their interactions to bilateral engagements or solo-role playing. I even fell into this play style and, combined with real life (RL) stuff, put my NSA account on the back burner. Another issue was that the map was slow to be update. I will blame myself for this one as I was the cartographer for the last few years. I discuss my major change to this later in this post. Last, but not least, a lack of clear game rules (Code) and objectives overseen by an active AS.

The categories below discuss the rules for the game and admin functions.

Gameplay

NSA is an international relations simulator. Trade, war, humanitarian actions, and all other parts of the global system are available to roleplay (RP). Players can take their country in practically any direction as long as it is realistic and based on resource parameters set by the AS. The AS will be active in player interactions as needed, such as moderating armed conflict by interpreting the outcome of military action or generating domestic events such as natural disasters. This will add the element of chance and create unbiased outcomes. The latter is most important during conflict, to include the effects of economic sanctions.

Establishing a Nation State (Country)

A player is limited to a starting country roughly the size of Kenya. Exceptions may be given if your territory covers large areas of unpopulated territory such as deserts or tundra, or you are wanting to RP a real world country or historic power. Posting in-character (IC) for your country can begin immediately after being approved for territory but a Country Factbook must be posted within two weeks of your territory approval. To note, you can request RL countries, such as Egypt or Gabon and the AS will map the appropriate provinces. Expanding your territory happens through roleplaying your country in the forums.

At the start of NSA 3.0., countries mapped on the NationStates.net Africa Region Page (NS.net) will be mapped here on the forum. These players will have four weeks from the point they are notified of of the NSA reboot to become active before they are demapped. Also of note, membership on NS.net and membership of the Africa region are not requirements but are strongly encouraged. This is to expand the number of active members we have and to keep it an exciting and diverse community.

What about those empty provinces? How are those treated? Generally, players should treat empty provinces as sovereign countries and neutral in world affairs. For RP and storytelling purposes, you can treat specific provinces as needed for your needs.

Mapping the World

The map has historically been maintained by a single person. If this person goes inactive, some else starts from scratch. Single-point-of-failure mapping is no more. The entire AS will be able to edit the map. It will be Microsoft Paint friendly so edits can be made quickly and posted in a timely manner. The new map will also use RL province boundaries so that players can easily identify what cities, etc., are included in a country (with a bit of research in the case of smaller RL countries).

Inactivity

States must post at least once every 30 days to avoid being placed on a probationary period. After 45 days of inactivity, the AS will RP civil unrest within your state which will led to a full collapse after 75 days of inactivity (unless other players prop up your government. In this case, the player/AS will control your country until you return or until the staff disbands your country). If you will be inactive, please post the time period for your absence. The “inactive effects timeline” will begin two weeks after your projected return date.